Information Processing Apparatus and Processing Method of Information Processing Apparatus

The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus and a processing method of the information processing apparatus.

Conventional information processing apparatuses, for example, image forming apparatuses such as multi function printers (MFPs) having complicated configurations have been generally repaired and maintained by dealers and service engineers. However, recent years have seen an increase in assertive movements for "Right to repair". Continuing to use products through repairs has a favorable effect on sustainability (Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs) and recycle-based economy (Green Transformation or GX). Generally, in many cases, users lack knowledge because they are not experienced unlike service engineers. There has been a necessity that manufacturers prepare a system for enabling users to repair products.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-191852 discloses a fault diagnostic technique based on a diagnostic apparatus for identifying a defective portion by analyzing the degree of abnormality based on input/output data of each part, and displaying analyzed fault information as an alarm on a display unit.

However, the fault diagnostic technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-191852 premises the activation of a basic system. If the basic system is not activated and a notification unit does not sufficiently operate (for example, a display screen displays nothing or blacks out), the defective portion cannot be notified. Particularly with an image forming apparatus including a plurality of units of electrically controlled components, a user finds it difficult to identify which substrate or wiring is defective, depending on the trouble state. Further, depending on the cause of failure, replacing a wrong component induces the same cause of failure, possibly causing a damage to a new component again.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing apparatus includes a first system circuit configured to be connected to a first power supply path, a second system circuit configured to be connected to the first power supply path and configured to be connected to the first system circuit via a signal line, a first display unit configured to be connected to a second power supply path different from the first power supply path, and configured to perform display in a state where the first system circuit is not activated and cancel display in a state where the first system circuit is activated, and a second display unit configured to be connected to the second power supply path, and configured to perform display in a state where the second system circuit is not activated and cancel display in a state where the second system circuit is activated.

Features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. The following description of embodiments is described by way of example.

Desirable embodiments of the present disclosure will be described as illustrative in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Sizes, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of components described in the following embodiments are not limited thereto. Unless otherwise specifically described, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments.

1 1 2 1 1 2 FIGS.and 1 FIG. 2 FIG. An image forming apparatusaccording to a first embodiment will be described below with reference to.illustrates an example of the image forming apparatus.is an enlarged view illustrating the periphery of an operation panelof the image forming apparatus.

1 FIG. 1 14 1 16 1 As illustrated in, the image forming apparatusfor forming an image on a sheet S includes a readerfor optically reading an image of a document placed on a glass plate (not illustrated) and converting the image into image data. The image forming apparatuscan be additionally provided with a processing apparatusfor applying staple processing, punch processing, bookbinding processing, and the like to the sheet S with an image formed thereon by the image forming apparatus.

1 15 15 150 150 150 150 151 151 151 151 152 152 152 152 The image forming apparatusincludes an image forming unitfor forming an image on the sheet S. The image forming unitincludes photosensitive drumsY,M,C, andK, charging devicesY,M,C, andK, and development devicesY,M,C, andK.

15 153 153 153 153 154 155 156 The image forming unitalso includes primary transfer rollersY,M,C, andK, a laser scanner unit, an intermediate transfer belt, and a secondary transfer roller.

1 10 19 19 155 156 When forming an image by using the image forming apparatus, an image forming job is input to a main body control unit. Thus, the sheet S stored in either one of sheet cassettesA andB is sent to a secondary transfer portion formed by the intermediate transfer beltand the secondary transfer roller.

15 150 151 154 150 150 14 Meanwhile, in the image forming unit, the surface of the photosensitive drumY is charged by the charging deviceY. Then, the laser scanner unitirradiates the surface of the photosensitive drumY with a laser beam to form, on the surface of the photosensitive drumY, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data of the document read by the readeror image data transmitted from an external apparatus (not illustrated) via a network.

152 150 150 Then, the development deviceY applies a yellow toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drumY to form a yellow toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drumY.

153 150 155 When the primary transfer rollerY is applied with a primary transfer bias, the toner images formed on the surface of the photosensitive drumY are primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt.

150 150 150 153 153 153 155 155 In a similar process, a magenta toner image, a cyan toner image, and a black toner image are also formed on the photosensitive drumM,C, andK, respectively. Then, when the primary transfer rollersM,C, andK are applied with the primary transfer bias, these toner images are transferred onto the yellow toner image on the intermediate transfer beltin a superimposed way. Thus, a full-color toner image corresponding to an image signal is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt.

155 156 155 13 13 Then, when the intermediate transfer beltcircularly moves, the full-color toner image is sent to the secondary transfer portion. Then, when the secondary transfer rolleris applied with a secondary transfer bias at the secondary transfer portion, the full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer beltis transferred onto the sheet S. The sheet S with the toner image transferred thereto is conveyed to a fixing device. Then, the fixing deviceapplies heating and pressurizing processing to the sheet S to fix the toner image to the sheet S.

16 16 161 16 161 160 161 161 a b a b Then, the sheet S with the toner image fixed thereto is sent to the processing apparatus. If a user specifies staple processing, punch processing, bookbinding processing, or the like, the sheet S having been sent to the processing apparatusis subjected to the specified processing and then discharged to a discharge tray. If the user specifies no processing or if the processing apparatusis not connected, the sheet S is subjected to no processing and then discharged as is to a discharge tray. In the present disclosure, the discharge unitincludes a discharge trayand a discharge tray.

1 121 121 1 12 5 FIG. The image forming apparatusis provided with a main body power switchof the seesaw type or the tactile type for turning the main power ON or OFF. When the main body power switchis turned ON, the image forming apparatusstarts system operations. However, to detect a signal for this switch, the electric circuit configuring the system is supplied with power when external alternating current (AC) power is connected to the AC power plug of the main body, as illustrated in(described below). The power source is direct current (DC) power generated through the AC/DC conversion by the power source device.

1 21 1 2 22 The image forming apparatusincludes a display unitfor displaying a display image received from the image forming apparatus, and the operation panelhaving a touch panelfor detecting user's touch operations.

21 2 22 1 24 1 1 1 24 24 1 25 25 12 1 26 25 25 26 a b a b The user performs an input operation by touching a key (input portion or button) displayed on the display unitwith a finger. This allows the user to make settings for image formation such as the number of images to be formed and the size of the sheet S, and make settings for image reading such as the document size. The operation panelincludes, in addition to the touch panel, a key operation input unit used by the user to make settings for the image forming apparatusand issue a job instruction, and a status display unitfor informing the user of the status of the image forming apparatus(job execution, paper jam and other errors). For example, if a jam occurs in the main body during paper feed in printing and then paper stops, if any component failure is suspected, or if the cover of the image forming apparatusis open, the image forming apparatusblinks or lights up the light emitting diode (LED) or the like of the status display unitto notify the user of the status. In addition to the status display unit, the image forming apparatusis provided with an abnormality display unit(first display unit) and an abnormality display unit(second display unit) to be referenced in the present embodiment. These display units are connected to the AC power plug of the main body provided separately from the system operation circuit. The display units include a circuit for enabling the display with the DC power generated by the power source device. Likewise, the image forming apparatusis provided with a connection display unitincluding a circuit for enabling the display with a separate power source. The operations of the abnormality display units(first display unit), the abnormality display unit(second display unit), and the connection display unitwill be described in detail below with reference to embodiments (described below).

1 1 3 FIG. 3 FIG. An example configuration of the image forming apparatuswill be described below with reference to.is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of the image forming apparatus.

3 FIG. 1 10 100 101 102 10 11 14 15 2 1 16 10 100 As illustrated in, the image forming apparatusincludes the main body control unitincluding a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and a timer. The main body control unitis connected to a storage device, a reader, an image forming unit, an operation panel, and the like. The image forming apparatuscan be additionally connected to the processing apparatusas an option aiming for the functional expansion. The main body control unit(CPU) controls the operation of each connected component.

14 15 16 17 1 The readerreads a document to generate image data. The image forming unitperforms image forming processing to form an image on a sheet based on the image data. The processing apparatusapplies staple processing, punch processing, bookbinding processing, and the like to a print product such as sheets having been subjected to the image forming processing. The notification apparatusis a function expansion unit for notifying the user of the status of the image forming apparatus.

11 110 1 110 11 10 11 2 The storage devicestores various programsfor controlling the image forming apparatus, various display images, print data, and the like. Various programsstored in the storage devicerefer to a software group for causing the main body control unitto perform various processing. Various display images stored in the storage deviceare display images (image data) and the like to be displayed on the operation panel.

100 110 11 110 100 2 11 2 101 110 100 110 11 100 14 15 16 17 18 10 101 100 14 110 The CPUreads the programsstored in the storage deviceand executes the programs. The CPUalso reads the display image to be displayed on the operation panelfrom the storage deviceand sends the image to the operation panel. The memorytemporarily stores data resulting from the execution of the programsby the CPU. More specifically, based on the programsstored in the storage device, the CPUcontrols the reader, the image forming unit, the processing apparatus, the notification apparatus, a key input unit, and the like connected to the main body control unit, by using the memoryas a work area to subject a sheet to the image forming processing and the like. For example, the CPUapplies image processing to the image data read from a document by the reader, based on the programs.

100 11 15 1 2 100 2 12 100 25 25 26 100 25 26 a b a The CPUstores the thus-generated image data in the storage device, transfers the image data to the image forming unit, and performs the image forming processing. The main body of the image forming apparatusis provided with a detection sensor for detecting the storage state of the operation panel, enabling the CPUto control the operation paneland the power source devicedepending on the detection status of the detection sensor. The CPUcan turn OFF the power of the abnormality display unit(first display unit), the abnormality display unit(second display unit), and the connection display unitcontrolled by a power source different from the power source on which the CPUoperates. The operations of the abnormality display unit(first display unit) and the connection display unitwill be described in detail below with reference to embodiments.

102 10 10 1 102 The timeris used to count time in various processing performed by the main body control unit. For example, the main body control unitdetermines to cause the image forming apparatusto make a transition from the standby mode to the sleep mode with a low power consumption, according to the count value of the timer.

10 12 12 122 121 10 25 26 12 a The main body control unitis also connected to the power source device. The power source deviceis supplied with power from a commercial power source via an outlet plug, converts the power into power to be used by each device, and supplies the power to each device. Turning the main body power switchON and OFF controls the electrical connection of the power to be supplied to the system in the main body control unit. When an external AC power source is connected to the AC power plug of the main body, the abnormality display unit(first display unit) and the connection display unitare supplied with the DC power generated by the power source device.

2 2 4 FIG. 4 FIG. An example configuration of the operation panelwill be described below with reference to.is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of the operation panel.

4 FIG. 2 20 200 201 202 203 203 20 As illustrated in, the operation panelincludes a panel control unitincluding a CPU, a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), and a timer. The timeris used to count time in various processing performed by the panel control unit.

201 2 200 201 202 201 200 21 23 24 20 202 The ROMstores data including various programs for controlling the operation panel. The CPUperforms various calculation processing based on control programs stored in the ROM. The RAMtemporarily stores data. More specifically, based on the control programs stored in the ROM, the CPUcontrols the display unit, an operation sound generation unit, the status display unit, and the like connected to the panel control unit, by using the RAMas a work area.

201 201 2 1 1 1 1 1 The ROMis a storage device storing information about control (described below). The ROMstores various programs and the like for controlling the operation paneland information about connections with the image forming apparatus. The information about the control includes information about the establishment of the connection with the image forming apparatusand information acquired from the image forming apparatus. The information acquired from the image forming apparatusincludes information about the status of the image forming apparatus, such as the standby mode, sleep mode, and error detection, and count information such as the number of printed sheets.

21 201 10 200 21 2 10 The display unitcan display information prestored in the ROMand information received from the main body control unit. Therefore, the CPUswitches the image to be output to the display unitbetween an image stored in the operation paneland an image received from the main body control unit.

22 21 21 22 21 22 22 20 220 21 200 220 10 1 27 200 10 1 The touch panel, which is an operation unit for detecting user's touch operations, is stacked on the display unit. The user performs operations by touching the display unitwith a finger via the touch panel. The display unitdisplays a screen to the user through the touch panel. The touch panelis connected to the panel control unitvia the touch panel control unit, and detects the portion on the display unittouched by the user. The CPUcalculates the coordinates of the touched position based on a signal detected by the touch panel control unit, and sends the coordinates to the main body control unitof the image forming apparatusvia an interface unit (IF unit). However, when the user operations are to be disabled, the CPUdoes not send the coordinates to the main body control unitof the image forming apparatus.

2 25 200 25 200 25 b b b The operation panelalso includes the abnormality display unit(second display unit). The CPUcan turn OFF the power of the abnormality display unit(second display unit) controlled by a power source different from the power source on which the CPUoperates. The operation of the abnormality display unit(second display unit) will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments.

1 5 10 FIGS.- The electric circuit included in the image forming apparatusaccording to the first embodiment and its processing will be described below with reference to.

5 FIG. 6 FIG. 12 1 10 2 10 50 50 2 300 10 50 25 25 26 121 51 40 a b illustrates an example configuration for supplying the power supplied from the power source devicein the image forming apparatus, to the main body control unitand the operation panel. The main body control unitis supplied with an upstream DC power supply paththat supplies power when an external AC power source is connected, to the AC power plug of the main body. The upstream DC power supply pathis also connected to the operation panelvia connection parts. When the main body control unitis supplied with the upstream DC power supply path, the abnormality display unit(first display unit), the abnormality display unit(second display unit), and the connection display unitbecome operative. The statuses of these units are displayed through the LED emission as represented by an example of an electric circuit illustrated in. When the main body power switchis OFF, the downstream DC power supply pathis disconnected by a switch control unit, disabling system operations.

6 FIG. 25 25 26 25 25 50 a b a a illustrates an example of an electric circuit used in the abnormality display unit(first display unit), the abnormality display unit(second display unit), and the connection display unit. The circuits of respective display units are equivalent, and thus the abnormality display unit(first display unit) will be described below as a representative display unit. The abnormality display unit(first display unit) is connected to the upstream DC power supply path.

61 121 100 60 60 63 63 64 50 63 64 121 50 12 61 61 62 62 62 An LEDis a light emitting element that emits light when supplied with an electric current. When the main body power switchis OFF, the CPUdoes not operate, and a signal lineis not controlled (for example, in the high impedance state). Accordingly, the logic of the signal lineconnected to the base of a transistoris fixed to Low, and the transistoris in the OFF state where no current flows between the collector and the emitter. The base of a transistoris applied with the voltage by the upstream DC power supply path. Thus, when the transistoris OFF, the transistoris in the ON state where a current flows between the collector and the emitter. Therefore, when the main body power switchis OFF and the upstream DC power supply pathis properly supplied by the power source device, the LEDis caused to be in a state where the LEDemits light (conductive state) by the current value adjusted by a resistor. The resistoris a chip or lead resistor used on electric circuits. The constant of the resistordiffers according to the position at which it is used, in other words, the constant to be used at different positions is not common. The constant is to be considered for each system to which the constant is applied and is not limited, and the description thereof will be omitted.

7 FIG. 6 FIG. 10 25 25 a a illustrates an overview of an electric substrate configuring the main body control unitand an example configuration of the abnormality display unit(first display unit). Like, the abnormality display unit(first display unit) will be described below as a representative display unit.

61 1 1 61 25 71 1 70 61 a The LEDis mounted inside the image forming apparatusand therefore cannot be immediately visually checked by the user. The housing may be configured to enable the user to easily access the inside of the image forming apparatus, however, an example where the LEDcan be visually checked from outside will be described below. The abnormality display unit(first display unit) is installed outside a housing coverof the image forming apparatus(outside the main body) through a light guidefor transmitting the light emission of the LEDto the outside. This configuration allows the user to immediately visually check the status if an abnormality occurs.

5 FIG. 121 40 50 51 100 10 200 2 Referring back to, when the main body power switchis turned ON, the switch control unitconnects the upstream DC power supply pathto the downstream DC power supply path. This turns ON the power of the CPUof the main body control unitand the CPUof the operation panel, activating system operations.

8 FIG. 8 FIG. 60 25 25 100 110 11 10 101 110 200 2 201 202 25 1 a b a is a flowchart illustrating processing on the signal linethat activates the abnormality display unit(first display unit) and the abnormality display unit(second display unit) when system operations start. The processing of the flowchart inis implemented when the CPUloads the programsstored in the storage deviceincluded in the main body control unit, into the memory, and executes the programs. Likewise, the CPUof the operation panelloads the programs stored in the ROMinto the RAMand executes the programs. Since the processing is common to these display units, a single processing flowchart for the abnormality display unit(first display unit) will be described below. The processing of the image forming apparatuswill be described below.

801 100 802 8 FIG. In step S, the CPUdetermines whether the system has been normally activated. If the system is not normally activated, the processing exits the flowcharts in. If the system has been normally activated, the processing proceeds to step S.

802 100 60 25 64 61 a 6 FIG. In step S, the CPUasserts the signal linefor controlling the abnormality display unit(first display unit) to High. In this state, no current flows between the collector and the emitter of the transistorillustrated in, and the LEDturns OFF (i.e., emit light).

25 801 60 a In this system, the abnormality display unit(first display unit) in the OFF state indicates that the system is normally operating. If the system is not normally activated (NO in step S), the signal linedoes not operate and remains Low. The system cannot perform processing any more and the processing exits the flowchart.

61 50 300 25 25 25 300 300 a b b In this case, the LEDremains ON indicating the power OFF state or an abnormal state at the activation time. Since the unit of each electric circuit is supplied with the upstream DC power supply pathvia the connection parts, each electrical circuit can independently determine the normal activation. Further, the abnormality display unit(first display unit) and the abnormality display unit(second display unit) are ON when the system is OFF. With this configuration, if the abnormality display unit(second display unit) past the connection partsis OFF, for example, the possibility of an abnormality of the connection partscan be detected even when the system does not start.

1 15 3 FIG. The image forming apparatusas an example of an information processing apparatus includes the image forming unitfor forming an image on a sheet illustrated in.

5 FIG. 100 51 200 51 100 30 200 100 300 As illustrated in, the CPUserves as a main body control unit system circuit and is connected to the first power supply path. The CPUserves as an operation panel system circuit and is connected to the first power supply pathand also connected to the CPUvia the connection signal line. The CPUis connected to the CPUvia the connection parts.

51 12 121 121 50 12 121 21 51 200 The first power supply pathis connected to the power source devicewhen the main body power switchis ON, and is not connected thereto when the main body power switchis OFF. A second power supply pathis connected to the power source deviceregardless of whether the main body power switchis ON or OFF. The display unitis connected to the first power supply pathand the CPU.

6 7 FIGS.and 25 25 61 70 61 1 a b As illustrated in, for example, each of the abnormality display unitand the abnormality display unitinclude the LED, and the light guidefor guiding the display of the LEDto make the display visible to the outside of the image forming apparatus.

5 FIG. 25 50 51 100 100 25 50 200 200 a b Referring to, the abnormality display unit(first display unit) connected to a second power supply pathdifferent from the first power supply pathperforms display when the CPUis not activated, and cancels the display when the CPUis activated. The abnormality display unit(second display unit) connected to the second power supply pathperforms display when the CPUis not activated, and cancels the display when the CPUis activated.

9 FIG. 9 FIG. 90 25 10 25 21 2 a b Criteria for determining which replacement part is to be selected if the user finds a failure, by using the above-described electric circuit and processing flowchart, will be described below with reference to. Tableinillustrates statuses of the abnormality display unit(first display unit) of the main body control unit, statuses of the abnormality display unit(second display unit) and the display unitof the operation panel.

91 90 90 91 121 121 25 25 121 a b 10 FIG. Tableillustrates details of judgments derived from the statuses in Table. Tablesandillustrate judgments to be applied in a state where the main body power switchis ON. These tables are on the premise that, when the main body power switchis OFF, both the abnormality display unit(first display unit) and the abnormality display unit(second display unit) are ON. Judgments to be applied if an abnormality occurs when the main body power switchis OFF are illustrated in.

92 25 10 93 25 2 94 21 2 95 a b A columnindicates the statuses of the abnormality display unit(first display unit) of the main body control unit. A columnindicates the statuses of the abnormality display unit(second display unit) of the operation panel. A columnindicates the statuses of the display unitof the operation panel. A columnindicates examples of judgments.

901 0 For a row(Condition), all of the display units are normal, and therefore the abnormality judgment is "Not Applicable".

902 1 21 2 For a row(Condition), an error message is assumed to be displayed on the display unitof the operation panel. This error display is different from the abnormal state indicated by this system. The user takes measures following the instruction specified by the error message. Details on error messages will be omitted.

903 2 25 10 25 2 21 2 2 25 21 1 2 21 a b b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) of the main body control unitis normal (OFF), the abnormality display unit(second display unit) of the operation panelis normal (OFF), and the display unitof the operation panelis abnormal (disabled screen display or black out). Since the system of the operation panelhas been normally activated and the abnormality display unit(second display unit) has been normalized, the display unitis determined to have become defective. The abnormality judgment is Judgment () which leads to the replacement of the operation panelincluding the display unit.

904 3 21 2 For a row(Condition), there is assumed no case where the display unitnormally performs display in a state where the operation panelcannot be supplied with power. Therefore, the abnormality judgment is "Not Applicable".

905 4 25 2 1 2 2 25 121 2 300 b b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(second display unit) of the operation panelis not released by system operations. Accordingly, the abnormality judgment is Judgment () which leads to the replacement of the operation panelincluding the system portion of the operation panel. However, if the abnormality display unit(second display unit) is OFF when the main body power switchis OFF, the abnormality judgment is Judgment () which leads to the replacement of the connection parts.

906 5 21 2 10 10 21 For a row(Condition), there is assumed no case where the display unitof the operation panelnormally performs display in a state where the main body control unitdoes not operate. Therefore, the abnormality judgment is "Not Applicable". This is because, according to the present embodiment, the main body control unitfinally specifies the content to be displayed on the display unit.

907 6 25 10 25 2 21 2 10 21 2 3 10 a b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) of the main body control unitis abnormal (ON), the abnormality display unit(second display unit) of the operation panelis normal (OFF), and the display unitof the operation panelis abnormal (disabled screen display or black out). This is determined to be a state where the main body control unitis not normally operating and the display unitis not displaying anything although the operation panelis supplied with power and the system operation is possible. The abnormality judgment is Judgment () which leads to the replacement of the main body control unit.

908 7 21 For a row(Condition), there is assumed no case where the display unitis normal in a state where all of the control units are abnormal. Therefore, the abnormality judgment is "Not Applicable".

909 8 25 10 25 2 21 2 12 300 4 1 a b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) of the main body control unitis abnormal (ON), the abnormality display unit(second display unit) of the operation panelis abnormal (ON), and the display unitof the operation panelis abnormal (disabled screen display or black out). Since the ON state can be confirmed, the power source deviceis normally operating, and the connection partsare normally connected. A case where both systems fail is very rare. The abnormality judgment is close to "Not Applicable", and the abnormality judgment is Judgment () which does not recommend repair but desirably recommends the inspection and replacement of the image forming apparatus.

9 FIG. 10 FIG. 9 FIG. 10 FIG. 121 121 96 25 10 25 2 97 96 121 a b illustrates a judgment table to be applied in a state where the main body power switchis ON.illustrates a judgment table to be applied in a state where the main body power switchis OFF, which serves as a supplementary table for the tables in. Tableinindicates the ON/OFF statuses of the LED of the abnormality display unit(first display unit) of the main body control unitand the LED of the abnormality display unit(second display unit) of the operation panel. Tableillustrates details of judgments derived from the statuses in Table. Except for certain cases, the final trouble state is determined after the main body power switchis turned ON.

98 25 10 99 25 2 121 96 21 2 999 a b A columnindicates the statuses of the abnormality display unit(first display unit) of the main body control unit. A columnindicates the statuses of the abnormality display unit(second display unit) of the operation panel. Since the main body power switchis OFF and is connected to no system path, Tableincludes no column for the display unitof the operation panel. A columnindicates examples of judgments.

911 9 For a row(Condition), all of the display units are normal, and therefore the abnormality judgment is "Not Applicable".

912 10 25 10 25 2 5 300 2 121 a b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) of the main body control unitis ON, and the abnormality display unit(second display unit) of the operation panelis OFF. The abnormality judgment is Judgment (), and the replacement of connection partsis suspected. However, since an internal failure of the operation panelmay possibly have occurred, the final trouble state is determined after the main body power switchis turned ON.

913 11 25 10 25 2 2 300 6 10 2 121 a b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) of the main body control unitis OFF, and the abnormality display unit(second display unit) of the operation panelis ON. The operation panelis supplied with power via the connection parts. The abnormality judgment is Judgment (), and a failure of the main body control unitis suspected. Since an internal failure of the operation panelmay possibly have occurred, the final trouble state is determined after the main body power switchis turned ON.

914 12 25 10 25 2 7 12 10 2 121 a b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) of the main body control unitis OFF, and the abnormality display unit(second display unit) of the operation panelis OFF. Since none of the display units may be supplied with power, the abnormality judgment is Judgment (), and the replacement of the power source deviceis suspected. However, since an internal failure of the main body control unitor the operation panelmay possibly have occurred, the final trouble state is determined after the main body power switchis turned ON.

50 51 10 2 1 In this way, a method for supplying the upstream DC power supply pathdifferent from the downstream DC power supply pathto each unit (the main body control unitand the operation panelaccording to the present embodiment) of the image forming apparatusto identify system operations and connection statuses can be implemented. The present embodiment enables assisting service engineers and users to suitably identify defective portions and correctly select replacement parts. The technique according to the present specification can contribute to the realization of a sustainable society such as a decarbonized/recycle-based society.

1 11 12 FIGS.and The electric circuit configuring the image forming apparatusaccording to a second embodiment and the processing of the circuit will be described below with reference to the configuration of the first embodiment and.

300 50 30 The first embodiment determines fault statuses of the connection partsbased on the power supply of the upstream DC power supply path. The second embodiment is based on the increased number of determination factors to enable the selection of replacement parts in consideration of partial disconnections, by using the connection signal line. Descriptions of common components will be omitted.

11 FIG. 11 FIG. 60 25 25 26 100 110 11 10 101 a b is a flowchart illustrating processing for the signal linethat activates the abnormality display unit(first display unit), the abnormality display unit(second display unit), and the connection display unitwhen system operations start. The processing of the flowchart inis implemented when the CPUloads the programsstored in the storage deviceof the main body control unitinto the memoryand then executes the programs.

1101 100 801 1102 In step S, the CPUdetermines whether the system has been normally activated as in step S. If the system has been normally activated, the processing proceeds to step S.

1102 100 60 25 1103 a In step S, the CPUasserts the signal linefor controlling the abnormality display unit(first display unit) to High. Then, the processing proceeds to step S.

1101 60 If the system is not normally activated (NO in step S), the signal linedoes not work or remains Low. Since further processing is not possible, the processing exits the flowchart.

1103 100 50 51 2 30 30 100 52 2 30 2 100 30 5 FIG. In step S, the CPUchecks the electrical continuity of the power lines of the upstream DC power supply pathand the downstream DC power supply pathto the operation panel, and the electrical continuity of the connection signal lineto be used. As illustrated in, a predetermined voltage is applied to the connection signal line(the CPUcan detect the High level) via a resistorat the operation panel, which is the power supply destination. Before the connection signal lineis operated for its intended purpose of communicating with the operation panel, the CPUcauses the connection signal lineto operate as an input signal line and detects the predetermined voltage, thereby determining whether the connection is intact.

100 1103 1104 The CPUperforms this check for the number of signal lines. If the electrical connection is successful for all signal lines (YES in step S), the processing proceeds to step S.

1104 100 60 26 26 25 61 300 a 6 FIG. In step S, the CPUasserts the signal linefor controlling the connection display unitto High. This control of the connection display unitis similar to the control of the abnormality display unit(first display unit). The LEDillustrated inis OFF, indicating that the connection partsare normal.

30 1103 60 If the electrical connection of any one of the connection signal linesis abnormal (NO in step S), the signal linedoes not operate, i.e., remains Low, and the processing exits the flowchart.

300 10 30 21 2 This configuration provides information that enables determination of partial faults of the connection partssuch as in a case where the main body control unitdoes not communicate via the connection signal lineand no error message can be displayed on the display uniteven after the operation panelhas been normally activated.

11 FIG. 26 50 100 100 30 Referring to, the connection display unitconnected to the second power supply pathperforms display in a state where the CPUis not activated and cancels display if the CPUdetermines that the electrical connection of the connection signal lineis normal.

12 FIG. 12 FIG. 1200 25 26 10 25 21 2 a b Criteria for determining which replacement part is to be selected if the user finds a failure, by using the above-described electric circuit and processing flow, will be described below with reference to. Tableinindicates the statuses of the abnormality display unit(first display unit) and the connection display unitof the main body control unit, and the statuses of the abnormality display unit(second display unit) and the display unitof the operation panel.

1201 1200 1200 1201 121 9 FIG. Tableillustrates details of judgments derived from the statuses in Table. Like the tables in, Tablesandillustrate the judgments to be used in a state where the main body power switchis ON.

121 25 25 26 a b These tables are on the premise that, when the main body power switchis OFF, the abnormality display unit(first display unit), the abnormality display unit(second display unit), and the connection display unitare ON.

1202 25 10 a A columnindicates the statuses of the abnormality display unit(first display unit) of the main body control unit.

1203 25 2 1204 21 2 1205 26 10 1206 b A columnindicates the statuses of the abnormality display unit(second display unit) of the operation panel. A columnindicates the statuses of the display unitof the operation panel. A columnindicates the statuses of the connection display unitof the main body control unit. A columnindicates examples of judgments.

1207 13 For a row(Condition), all of the display units are normal, and therefore the abnormality judgment is "Not Applicable".

1208 14 21 For a row(Condition), an error message is assumed to be displayed on the display unit. This error display is different from the abnormal state indicated by this system. The user takes measures following the instruction specified by the error message. Details on error messages will be omitted.

1209 15 25 25 21 26 26 21 2 8 300 a b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) is normal (OFF), the abnormality display unit(second display unit) is normal (OFF), the display unitis normal, and the connection display unitis abnormal (ON). Although the connection display unitindicates an abnormality, the display unitof the operation panelnormally performs display, and hence a partial disconnection is assumed to have occurred. Therefore, the abnormality judgment is Judgment () which leads to the replacement of connection parts.

1210 16 25 25 21 26 21 9 2 21 a b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) is normal (OFF), the abnormality display unit(second display unit) is normal (OFF), the display unitis abnormal (disabled screen display or black out), and the connection display unitis normal (OFF). Since the display unitis determined to have become defective, the abnormality judgment is Judgment () which leads to the replacement of the operation panelincluding the display unit.

1211 17 25 25 21 26 2 8 300 a b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) is normal (OFF), the abnormality display unit(second display unit) is normal (OFF), the display unitis abnormal (disabled screen display or black out), and the connection display unitis abnormal (ON). Although the system of the operation panelis normally operating, a partial disconnection is assumed to have occurred. The abnormality judgment is Judgment () which leads to the replacement of connection parts.

1212 18 21 2 2 For a row(Condition), there is assumed no case where the display unitof the operation panelnormally performs display in a state where the operation paneldoes not operate. Therefore, the abnormality judgment is "Not Applicable".

1213 19 1212 21 2 2 For a row(Condition), like the row, there is assumed no case where the display unitof the operation panelnormally performs display in a state where the operation paneldoes not operate. Therefore, the abnormality judgment is "Not Applicable".

1214 20 25 25 21 26 2 21 9 2 a b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) is normal (OFF), the abnormality display unit(second display unit) is abnormal (ON), the display unitis abnormal (disabled screen display or black out), and the connection display unitis normal (OFF). The operation panelis inoperative, and the display unitdoes not perform display. The abnormality judgment is Judgment () which leads to the replacement of the operation panel.

1215 21 25 25 21 26 2 21 2 300 8 300 a b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) is normal (OFF), the abnormality display unit(second display unit) is abnormal (ON), the display unitis abnormal (disabled screen display or black out), and the connection display unitis abnormal (ON). For this condition, the operation panelis inoperative, and the display unitdoes not perform display. Since the connection determination is also abnormal, the abnormality of the operation panelis assumed to be caused by a fault of the connection parts. Therefore, the abnormality judgment is Judgment () which leads to the replacement of the connection parts.

10 10 30 1205 10 11 FIG. This completes descriptions of a case where system operations of the main body control unitare normal. In the following cases, system operations of the main body control unitare abnormal, and the processing flow for checking the electrical continuity of the connection signal lineillustrated inis not executed. In this case, the columnis "Not Possible". Therefore, abnormal system operations of the main body control unitare classified into four categories, not eight categories.

1216 22 21 2 10 10 21 For a row(Condition), there is assumed no case where the display unitof the operation panelnormally performs display in a state where the main body control unitdoes not operate. Therefore, the abnormality judgment is "Not Applicable". This is because, according to the present embodiment, the main body control unitspecifies the contents to be finally displayed on the display unit.

1217 23 25 25 21 10 21 2 10 10 a b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) is abnormal (ON), the abnormality display unit(second display unit) is normal (OFF), and the display unitis abnormal (disabled screen display or black out). This is determined to be a state where the main body control unitis not normally operating and the display unitis not displaying anything although the operation panelis supplied with power and the system operation is possible. The abnormality judgment is Judgment () which leads to the replacement of the main body control unit.

1218 24 21 For a row(Condition), there is assumed no case where the display unitis normal in a state where all of the control units are abnormal. Therefore, the abnormality judgment is "Not Applicable".

1219 25 25 10 25 2 21 12 300 11 1 a b For a row(Condition), the abnormality display unit(first display unit) of the main body control unitis abnormal (ON), the abnormality display unit(second display unit) of the operation panelis abnormal (ON), and the display unitis abnormal (disabled screen display or black out). Since the ON state can be confirmed, the power source deviceis normally operating and the connection partsare normally connected. A case where both systems fail is very rare. The abnormality judgment is close to "Not Applicable", i.e., Judgment () which does not recommend repair but desirably recommends the inspection and replacement of the image forming apparatus.

30 905 9 FIG. Unlike the first embodiment, the second embodiment additionally performs the connection determination based on the connection signal lineand increases the number of determination factors. The second embodiment does not need to determine the situation like the rowinaccording to the first embodiment, enabling more reliable selection of replacement parts.

The present embodiment enables assisting service engineers and users to suitably identify defective portions and correctly select replacement parts. The technique according to the present specification can contribute to the realization of a sustainable society such as a decarbonized/recycle-based society.

1 As described above, the first and the second embodiments provide a line for supplying an independent power source different from the power source for supplying power at the connection destination to each electrical component unit (electric substrate and connection parts) included in the image forming apparatus. This configuration enables identifying such a reason as a power supply failure, a system operation failure, and disconnection. This makes it possible to provide a mechanism for assisting the selection of replacement parts.

1 1 The first and the second embodiments enable assisting service engineers and users to suitably identify defective portions of each electrical component unit (electric substrate and connection parts) configuring the image forming apparatusand correctly select replacement parts. The first and the second embodiments enable repair and maintenance operations through the replacement of electrical component units (electric substrate and connection parts) configuring the image forming apparatus.

TM Embodiment(s) of the present disclosure can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a 'non-transitory computer-readable storage medium') to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s). The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.

While the present disclosure has been described with reference to embodiments, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-055695, filed Mar. 28, 2025, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.